Analysis of Bipolar Disorder - Coursework Example

Bipolar Disorder al affiliation Bipolar disorder is a rare brain condition that causes unstable moods. This disorder can affect the social lives of the people suffering from it since the bipolar episodes can even last for weeks. The disease is usually characterized by depression, mania and hypomania episodes. There are four types of bipolar disorder. The disorder affects approximately 5.5 million American citizens that are around 2.5% of the total American population. The disorder is inheritable and is also caused by malfunctions in the neurotransmitters of the brain. This disorder is not treatable but can be managed with the help of mood stabilizers like lithium and anticonvulsants like valproic acid. Atypical antipsychotics, sleep medication, lifestyle management, support, psychotherapy, and education can also help manage the condition. Bipolar Disorder Introduction Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that causes shifts in energy levels, moods and activity levels. It affects a person’s ability to carry their day to day activities. The condition is also referred to as mani-depressive illness. It is referred to as manic-depression since it causes ones moods to be very low which is usually as a result of depression and also makes one overactive which is as a result of mania or hypomania (Mondimore, 2014). The condition causes broken relationships, poor performance in school, suicide and even people suffering from this condition risk losing their jobs. This is because an extreme case of bipolar disorder can even last for close several days or even weeks. The condition is, however, manageable. People suffering from the bipolar condition have unusual changes in their behavior. While the patient may experience episodes of depression or mania separately, sometimes the patient may experience both conditions. This is described as a mixed state. However, these symptoms are not sufficient to diagnose a patient with the disorder. Medical practitioners have to use the guidelines from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM) (Mondimore, 2014). There are four main types of bipolar disorder. Bipolar I Disorder This type of bipolar disorder is characterized by the patient having manic or depression episodes or both and can last up one to two weeks. These episodes are so severe that the patient needs immediate medical attention. Bipolar II Disorder This type of bipolar condition is characterized by hypomanic episodes, depression episodes or mixed episodes. However, in this case, the patient does not experience full blown manic episodes and mixed episodes. Bipolar Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (BP-NOS) This type of bipolar disorder usually occurs when a patient exhibits abnormal behavior. However, in this case, the condition is neither Bipolar disorder I nor bipolar disorder II. Cyclothymic Disorder This can be described as a mild version of the bipolar condition. However, unlike the other types of bipolar conditions, cyclothymic disorder does not meet the requirements set to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Medical practitioners can diagnose bipolar condition using interviews, lab tests and even physical examinations (Phillips & Kupfer, 2013). Once any the doctor notes any behavior that is associated with bipolar condition, the patient is referred to a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are specially trained to deal with cases of bipolar disorder. In order to fully diagnose a patient with bipolar disorder, the doctor has to review the medical history of the patient and would normally seek audience from the patient and the family of the patient. Most patients will only seek medical attention when they are depressed and not when they experience manic episodes. If left undiagnosed, the condition could worsen over time. As such, it is important to report any cases where a person exhibits both manic and depression episodes. Bipolar disorder affects close to 6 million adults in America. This relates to about 2% of the entire American population (MacQueen, & Young, 2014). Bipolar condition affects people from all walks of life. However, further research shows the disease has a heritable component. This means that an individual who is diagnosed with bipolar condition is likely to have a close relative suffering from the same condition. Causes of bipolar disorder The main cause of bipolar disorder remains a mystery up to date. Doctors and scientists alike have been unable to unravel the main cause of this brain condition. However, over the years they have made great strides in identifying in understanding some of the main causes that may cause the bipolar condition. Doctors agree that there is no single cause of bipolar condition and that the disorder is caused by a host of many factors. The following are some of the well documented and scientifically proven factors that cause bipolar disorder. Genetics Studies have revealed that bipolar disorder is inheritable. Separate studies have indicated that people who suffer from bipolar disorder have a close relative (blood relative) that suffers from the same condition. It is well documented that 80% of bipolar cases are inherited. There is usually a 10% chance of a child developing bipolar disorder when one of the parents is diagnosed with bipolar condition. If both parents are diagnosed with the condition the child is at 40% risk of suffering from the condition. Doctors believe while as genetics plays a big role in a person being diagnosed with bipolar condition, there are other factors that contribute. Scientists have launched the bipolar disorder phenome database to study the relationship between bipolar condition and genes. The database will enable scientists closely to study the relationship between genes and bipolar disorder. The scientist will be able to identify the specific genes that cause bipolar condition. Scientists are further looking at similar conditions that have the same symptoms as bipolar disorder. These conditions include depression and schizophrenia. While genes can be attributed to causing bipolar disorder, there are other factors that also come into play. A research was conducted which revealed that while identical twins may share the same genes, one of the identical twins may suffer from disorder while the other twin may not develop the disorder (Kieseppä, Partonen, Haukka, Kaprio & Lönnqvist, 2014). This suggests that there are environmental factors that come into play to cause bipolar condition. However, scientists are yet to understand fully how the other factors believed to cause the bipolar condition interact to cause the condition. Brain structure and functioning Scientists have come up with a theory relating the cause of bipolar condition to the abnormal serotonin chemistry. This is a neurotransmitter that can be able to affect the mood of an individual. Abnormal serotonin affects other brain cells and functions and ends up causing mood changes in an individual. Technological advancement has enabled scientists to study the human brain. As such, scientists have been able to note abnormal brain-behavior from people suffering from the bipolar condition. Scientists have been able to establish that the brain pattern of people suffering from bipolar disorder and the brain pattern people suffering from multi-dimensional is similar. Scientists were able to discover the brain pattern that is responsible for mood swings. Other neurotransmitters like norepinephrine also cause brain dysfunction that leads to unstable moods. However, serotonin is believed to the main neurotransmitter that affects the normal functioning of the brain (Craddock & Sklar, 2013). This does not only cause a bipolar condition, but also causes depression. Treatment for bipolar disorder While there is no treatment for bipolar disorder, the condition can be managed with proper treatment. However, this is pegged on how the patient responds to medication. A good way to determine how a patient is responding to medication is to make a daily live chart. Using this chart, the patient can be able to monitor and record their symptoms, sleep patterns and how the medication being administered is affecting their lives. The doctor may choose to continue administering the same medication if the patient shows signs improvement. If the side effects persist the doctor may decide to add or withdraw a certain type of medication. In order to treat bipolar condition, mood stabilizers are usually used. Lithobid or Eskalith that is also commonly referred to as lithium has proved to be the most effective mood stabilizer (Berghöfer, Alda, Adli, Baethge, Bauer, Bschor & Pfennig, 2013). The drug has been in use since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized lithium to be used in treating depression and manic episodes. This was the first drug to be used to treat bipolar disorder. Over the years, anticonvulsants have also been used to treat unstable moods. The drugs were initially used in the treatment of seizures. However, they are now also used to control the moods of people suffering from bipolar disorder. Some of the anticonvulsants used to help manage moods include; valproic acid that is used in the treatment of mania. Lamotrigine, on the other hand, is used in the treatment of depression episodes. Oxcarbazepine and gabapentin are some of the other anticonvulsants used in the treatment of bipolar disorder (Geddes, & Miklowitz, 2013). However, like any other drugs, anticonvulsants have side effects. They increase suicidal thoughts and patients taking anticonvulsants should be monitored closely. The FDA has made sure that these drugs bear these warnings. Other prescriptions for bipolar condition include atypical antipsychotics. These are a new in the market and very expensive. Like mood stabilizers, they also have side effects; however, they provide greater relief than the other available medications. Psychotherapy is also prescribed for people have stabilized their bipolar disorders. It is recommended for such people in order to avoid any chances of the disorder relapsing. Sleep medication is also prescribed for patients who have sleeping problems. This medication helps them to relax and sleep better and as such it aids in managing the condition. Learning more about one’s condition may also help them treat bipolar disorder. This helps the patient to be able to avoid any setbacks. Lifestyle management may also be used to treat this brain condition. Getting enough sleep, avoid drugs like alcohol, regularly exercising, daily exposure to sunlight and learning how to manage stress are some of the ways that a patient can use to self-treat the condition. A bipolar patient should also join support groups that will give them a platform to share their experiences and also listen to the experiences of other people. Listening to other people’s experiences may help boost the motivation of patients. Support from close friends is also important (Geddes, & Miklowitz, 2013). Bipolar disorder medication is administered depending on the stage of the disorder. Medication is recommended for people who suffer from this disorder. Untreated and undiagnosed cases of bipolar condition usually turn to alcohol and other drugs in order to try and relieve the symptoms of the disorder (Berghöfer, Et al, 2013). Conclusion Bipolar disorder affects a huge percentage of the American population. With the technological advancement at our disposal, I think it is high time that the cause and treatment of this condition be finally discovered. The government should set aside funds to help assist scientists and doctors conduct research to get to the cause of this condition. The government should also set aside funds that will help in the construction of special facilities to be used in the treatment and management of this disorder. This is due to the symptoms exhibited by bipolar patients. There should also be increased public awareness as most people do not know about the symptoms of this order. Increased public awareness may also help in diagnosing more cases of people suffering from this condition. Support should also be given to patients suffering from this condition. They should always feel loved and not feel like they are burdening those around them. References Berghöfer, A., Alda, M., Adli, M., Baethge, C., Bauer, M., Bschor, T., ... & Pfennig, A. (2013). Stability of lithium treatment in bipolar disorder-long-term follow-up of 346 patients. Int J Bipolar Disord, 1, 11. Chicago Craddock, N., & Sklar, P. (2013). Genetics of bipolar disorder. The Lancet, 381(9878), 1654-1662. Geddes, J. R., & Miklowitz, D. J. (2013). Treatment of bipolar disorder. The Lancet, 381(9878), 1672-1682. Kieseppä, T., Partonen, T., Haukka, J., Kaprio, J., & Lönnqvist, J. (2014). High concordance of bipolar I disorder in a nationwide sample of twins. Chicago MacQueen, G. M., & Young, L. T. (2014). Bipolar II disorder: symptoms, course, and response to treatment. Mondimore, F. M. (2014). Bipolar disorder: A guide for patients and families. JHU Press. Phillips, M. L., & Kupfer, D. J. (2013). Bipolar disorder diagnosis: challenges and future directions. The Lancet, 381(9878), 1663-1671. Read More